Hidden Layers
by Kitsanken
Summary: The love of a man and a woman knows no boundaries. Be it time or place, the heart will not be swayed. When two souls meet and recognize their other half, nothing can separate the two. So it has been; so it is; and so it will always be.
1. Chapter 0001

**_Summary:_**_  The love of a man and a woman knows no boundaries.  Be it time or place, the heart will not be swayed.  When two souls meet and recognize their other half, nothing can separate the two.  So it has been; so it is; and so it will always be._

_Inuyasha Original Japanese Version © Takahashi Rumiko Shonen Sunday __Sunrise__ Studios_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

**Hidden Layers**

By:  Chiruken

Chapter 1

_"Everything is corroded, broken, dismantled; everything is covered with hardened layers of accumulated insensitivity, deafness, entrenched routine."_

-Boris Pasternak-

The large form moved with surprising grace and speed through the forest.  Small animals scurried out of its way as the trees quivered, their leaves shivering in the wind formed by the quick passing.  The figure emerged from the trees into a wide expanse of grassy openness, the sun reflecting off its silvery coat of silken fur, the wind ruffling it and lifting the strands before they lay flat again only to rise once more in another gust.

Blood red eyes squinted in a rare showing of happiness, tongue losing out the side of its mouth as pure joy engulfed the creature's being.

Sesshoumaru enjoyed these rare moments of blissful freedom.  As his responsibilities grew, his time for such frivolous acts had dwindled.  It had been over five decades since he'd last indulged in his desire to run free beneath the sky with the wind ruffling his fur.

There were moments when he cursed his heritage and the constraints it placed on him.  There had been many times he'd longed to turn his back and simply walk away from the tedium his birth-right offered him.  It was in those moments he truly envied his younger half-brother.

Coming to a stop he scented the air and if he'd been in his humanoid form he'd have almost smiled in satisfaction.  The air was sweet, untainted by the smells of other youkai or of humans.  His sensitive sense of smell was too often bombarded by the malodorous scents of unwashed bodies.  It was enough to almost make him gag.  Youkai were just as bad as humans if not worse.  The musk secreted through their glands was often overpowering enough to make his eyes water.  He often wondered if they had a revulsion towards water.  Neko youkai he could understand this aversion in, but what of the others?  Even humans didn't stink as bad as some of the representatives sent to him by other powerful…and not so powerful…youkai.

Sesshoumaru lowered his large frame to the ground and rolled in the grass, reveling in the feeling of bliss the green blades gave him and the scent now clinging to his fur.  Pollen recently settled on the grass floated around him as his vigorous rolling disturbed its resting place accompanied by clouds of dust, tickling his nose.  His eyes squinted and he huffed for a moment before giving in to the impossible to resist urge and sneezed, his whole body shaking from the violent expulsion of air as he rolled to his stomach.

Folding his forepaws before him, he lowered his head and gently licked the newly regenerated left paw, ears flicking back and forth, listening for sounds of a possible intrusion into his brief moment of privacy.

Flexing the claws on the paw he was grooming he growled deep in his chest.  He was still furious with Inuyasha for causing such a great hurt to his body, one that had taken nearly four years to repair and tremendous amounts of restorative energy.  If it would have been a finger or an ear, an eye even, it would have taken a few months to repair the damage.  An entire arm had been taken every ounce of concentration and power he possessed.  He snorted, sending a cloud of dust up from the ground and blinked his eyes rapidly as the annoying tickle began again.  After another fierce sneeze he grunted and sighed.  As much as he'd like to give his younger half-brother an equally debilitating blow, he would refrain.  As a hanyou, his regenerative abilities were greatly reduced in comparison to a full-blooded youkai.  As much as Inuyasha deserved what he got, he wouldn't be the one responsible for causing his brother such a grievous injury that would leave him disabled in the world they lived in.  It would be too cruel of a fate to leave him alive, but lame.

He sighed again and closed his eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun.  He wanted nothing more than to forget the duties awaiting him.  There were times when he truly wished he were some lowly youkai with nothing better to do than terrorize the humans in their small villages.  Of course, he never did understand why they even bothered.  Though humans were obviously beneath him, he never went out of his way to kill them needlessly.  If they were foolish enough to cross his path without showing the proper respect his status as Lord of the Western Lands demanded, he wouldn't ignore the insult.

The hour was steadily growing late, he noticed.  He would have to return to his family's ancient stronghold.  Jaken would be ready for relief from Rin's exuberant antics soon.  His young charge had more energy than his retainer could handle most of the time.  She was in constant need of supervision lest that same exuberance lead her into dangerous ground.  Living as she was with him, a full-blooded youkai, she was no longer welcome amongst her own kind.  Humans, he'd discovered, were fickle creatures.  However, it was her humanity that created the threat with the other youkai.  Their fear kept them at bay, which was why he never left Rin unguarded for long.  His presence kept the other youkai in line and the human pup safe.

Not for the first time he wondered if he'd blundered in taking Rin as his ward.  If she were among her own kind the other youkai would be disinterested in her.  As she was now, she was a target for every youkai with a vendetta against him or his family.  As much as he derived pleasure from her presence, he felt it would be best if she were raised not by youkai but by humans.  The only problem was that, as much as he hated to admit it, he was attached to the pup.  If he gave over custody of her wellbeing to humans, there was no possible way of seeing her again, a prospect that left him feeling cold inside.  The thought of being permanently separated from his Rin-pup was almost painful to him.  He was torn between his need to protect her and his desire to keep her near.  If only there were humans who felt no fear or hatred towards his kind.  It would allow him to appease both his needs and his desires.  But were there such humans who existed?  Humans worthy of the raising of his Rin-pup?

A sudden image of his half-brother entered his mind…along with the humans he traveled with.  He stood and shook the grass from his body.  Those humans were different.  They traveled with his brother, a hanyou, and a kitsune youkai kit.  The taijiya had a neko youkai with her.  He sat on his haunches and stared thoughtfully into the distance.  The miko, though untrained, could still produce powerful purifying arrows.  The hoshi, however, was a lecher.  He didn't want Rin exposed to such behaviour.  However, from his observation, the taijiya and the miko kept him in line and curbed his lecherous ways remarkably well.  These were humans worthy of raising Rin.  Unfortunately, they were also in a similar predicament as he was.  They were forced into battle often during their search for the remaining shards of the Shikon no Tama.  And though that made them unsuitable for guardianship for the young human pup, they may know of other humans with similar views towards his kind that would take Rin in and still allow him to see her.  As much as he disliked asking Inuyasha for anything, he would make the exception where Rin was concerned.  Having decided, he stood and turned in the direction of his home.  He still had some time left to himself before he was expected back and he intended to enjoy more of the freedom he was denied so often.  He would search for Inuyasha and his human companions two sunrises from this day.


	2. Chapter 0002

**_Summary:_**_  The love of a man and a woman knows no boundaries.  Be it time or place, the heart will not be swayed.  When two souls meet and recognize their other half, nothing can separate the two.  So it has been; so it is; and so it will always be._

_Inuyasha Original Japanese Version © Takahashi Rumiko Shonen Sunday __Sunrise__ Studios_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

**Hidden Layers**

By:  Chiruken

Chapter 2

_"Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understanding."_

-Agnes Repplier-

"Sit!"  The word echoed through the forest accompanied by a crash, yelp and a string of curses as birds took flight from their perches in the trees.  "Sit!  Sit!  Sit!  Sit!"  Each consecutive word somehow gained in volume until finally reaching a deafening crescendo in the form of a furious shriek, the ground reverberating with some kind of impact four more times interposed by pained yelps, but the curses were now replaced by one lone whimper.  "Inuyasha, you jerk!  How could you?!  That was my math assignment!"

Sesshoumaru raised one eyebrow in silent contemplation, wondering what significance that word had in regards to the miko's unmistakable fury and how that same word would create such a resounding crash.  He was also puzzled as to what a 'math assignment' could possibly be.  He felt it must be important to have elicited such a reaction from the human female.

Stepping out from behind a concealing tree he surveyed the revealed scene with increased curiosity.  The hoshi sat with his back to a tree, one knee raised, arm resting on it in a relaxed manner, his staff leaning against his shoulder, eyes closed with an expression of mixed boredom and impatience.  The taijiya stood to his right wearing a similar expression, her large bone weapon planted firmly on the ground before her, her hands folded over it with her chin resting on them.  Her neko youkai sat at her feet, red eyes turned in his direction.  It would only be a moment before it reacted to his sudden arrival.  The kitsune youkai had his tiny arms folded over his chest, young features schooled into an expression of disgust as he gazed at a large crater.  The miko stood looking strangely like she was ready for battle, yet rather than looking at him; she too was glaring at the crater.  He could smell his younger half-brother, but as of yet the hanyou was no where to be seen, though the sounds emanating from the hole in the ground sounded suspiciously like they came from Inuyasha.

Before the neko youkai could alert the group to his presence he removed all expression from his features and stepped forward until he was completely out of the concealing trees and into the small clearing.  "What is a 'math assignment'?"  He asked by way of announcing his presence.  The reaction from the group was almost comical.  The kit shrieked and jumped nearly four feet off the ground, red hair standing straight on end; the taijiya nearly fell over and scrambled to retain her hold on her weapon while the neko youkai transformed to its larger size and growled as its hackles rose aggressively.  The hoshi jumped to his feet his expression revealing his surprise eloquently as he tightened his hold on the staff he still held.  The miko whirled to face him, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.  There was still no sign of his half-brother.  "Where is Inuyasha?"

An odd sound reached his sensitive ears from the crater.  It sounded strangely like a snarl, moan and grunt all combined into one.  He slowly closed the distance, ignoring the humans staring at him and their aggressive stances.  He peered over the edge of the hole and blinked once, his only show of the surprise he felt.  He felt a nearly uncontrollable urge to laugh.

"Inuyasha."  He stated as coldly as he could manage through his amusement, disgusted when his voice wavered in an undignified way.  "What are you doing?"  His lips quirked up into a rare smirk quickly suppressed but not before the miko caught sight of it.

"Um…Sesshoumaru?"  He turned to the miko, eyes narrowing when she took a hasty step back and squeaked in alarm as his gaze fell on her.  "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"This Sesshoumaru has a need to speak with this group, miko."  He replied after a moment.  He returned his gaze back to his brother and noted that he appeared to be trying to rise.  "Are you so clumsy as to have fallen into a hole this size, Inuyasha?"  His voice reflected the scorn he felt for the hanyou's obvious lack of grace, expression in his golden eyes condescending.  "Stop wallowing in your own drool and come out.  This Sesshoumaru has no patience for your idiocy today."

Inuyasha released a string of profanity that threatened to turn his elder brother's ears red.  Sesshoumaru had to give him credit for imaginative phrasing, though he felt the majority of the things the hanyou 'suggested' he do to himself were physical impossibilities.  He listened patiently to the diatribe of insults issuing forth from his half-brother's mouth which was still planted firmly against the ground by all appearances.  There seemed to be no end to Inuyasha's vocabulary, he noted.

Finally losing patience, Sesshoumaru kicked a fair sized rock over the edge of the crater, satisfied when the hanyou's voluble curses were immediately cut off and ended in a yelp.  "Enough, Inuyasha."  He stated mildly, turning away with a final kick to another rock, sending it crashing into the crater as well.  It was petty, he knew, yet when he heard the pained yelp issue forth he was hard pressed to keep his superior smirk hidden behind his customary cold and implacable expression though his eyes revealed his mirth.  He may have put aside his personal vendetta against Inuyasha, but he had every intention of sending little jabs into the hanyou's pride at every opportunity that presented itself.  As long as his brother didn't attempt to sever more limbs from his person, he wouldn't continue in his pursuit of taking his life.

"Sesshoumaru!  Bastard!"  Inuyasha's enraged shout was immediately followed by an attack which the Lord of the Western Lands easily sidestepped nonchalantly.  Another string of curses accompanied several other hastily executed attacks as the hanyou's fury increased.  "What the hell are you doin' here?!"  Sesshoumaru continued to dodge his younger brother's violent attacks.  "Stand still!"

Sesshoumaru thought that it was fairly obvious that if he were to stop moving Inuyasha's claws were more likely to hit their target, namely him.  He felt it would be imprudent to allow such an occurrence to take place and opened his mouth to say as much before thinking better of it.  It wasn't in his nature to state the obvious, even when the poser of the question was too blinded by stupidity that he couldn't see for himself the answer.  Not moving to return the attacks being directed at him, Sesshoumaru simply sidestepped gracefully around the clearing, taking care to keep his distance from his brother's human companions at the same time.  It wouldn't do to be caught unawares, though he doubted they would interfere.  He always felt that it was best to be prepared for every conceivable eventuality rather than being fatally surprised.  "Inuyasha…" He began with deceptive calm as he once again avoided the hanyou's claws.  "You try this Sesshoumaru's patience."

The miko stood off to the side holding the kitsune kit tightly in her arms, wide-eyes following the two brothers as they moved around the clearing.  Sesshoumaru spared her a brief glance as he passed by her before turning his attention once again to the claws closing in on the general location of his chest.  "I-Inuyasha…" Her soft voice caught the youkai lord's attention and held it for a moment, distracting him at the last instant allowing his younger brother to land a blow that knocked him back several feet.

Looking down at the four parallel bloody stripes marring his chest, Sesshoumaru felt the last of his patience leave him.  A low dangerous growl rumbled in his chest before he could suppress it as he looked back up and pinned the hanyou with a glare.  "This Sesshoumaru was not here to do battle, Inuyasha, however…" He paused and put on a burst of speed, maneuvering behind his brother in the blink of an eye, the claws of his left hand at his throat in an instant while with his other hand he held Inuyasha's arm out to the side, away from Tessaiga.  "You go too far."

"Inuyasha!"  The miko's sudden cry caught Sesshoumaru's attention and he looked in her direction.  He could both smell her fear and read it in her eyes.  Gone was the kitsune from her arms and in its place was a bow with an arrow notched and aimed at him.  His golden eyes narrowed in annoyance.  "Let him go, Sesshoumaru!"

"Do you intend to purify this Sesshoumaru, miko?"  He noted that her hand shook on the draw sting, the arrow quivering in her agitation.  "Has your aim improved since last we faced in battle?"  He asked calmly his eyes never leaving her as he felt his younger half-brother stop struggling.

"K-Kagome…" Beneath his hand he felt Inuyasha swallow convulsively.  Evidently the human female's aim hadn't improved greatly or the hanyou wouldn't be quite this nervous.

"Lower the weapon, miko.  This Sesshoumaru has no wish to see Inuyasha purified by mistake on this day."  He was amused by the sudden confusion he sensed in his brother.

"Wh-who says I'll miss?"  Despite her brave words the arrowed trembled violently in her hands.

Sesshoumaru sighed inaudibly.  "Foolish pride is not becoming, miko."  He tightened his grip.  "Tell her to stand down, Inuyasha."

"Kagome!  Put it down!"

"No way!  I can do it, Inuyasha!"

"Put it down, stupid!  You'll hit me!"  At this the wavering arrow straightened, but the aim was now centered on the hanyou's chest.  "Wh-what are you doin'?!"

The miko scowled and Sesshoumaru suppressed a shudder at the look in her eyes.  Her rage was plain for anyone with half their wits about them to see.  "This Sesshoumaru advises you to hold our tongue, Inuyasha.  Your miko is angry."  He abruptly released his hold on the hanyou and stepped aside.  "It is a wonder you have gotten this far in your battle against Naraku.  Divided as you are, this Sesshoumaru would have expected your defeat long before now."

The hoshi stepped forward, hands raised in a gesture of peace.  "What is it that you're here for, Sesshoumaru-sama?"  He asked in a tightly controlled tone, his nervousness clear to see even without the inu youkai lord's acute senses.

"This Sesshoumaru had a wish to speak with Inuyasha and you humans."  He responded carefully, watching the confusion enter the human's eyes.

"Kagome, what's the big idea?!  You looked like you wanted to shoot me!"

"I did!"

"Wh-what?!"

"You heard me!"  Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to cover his sensitive ears as her voice rose and attacked his hearing with the increased volume.

"Why the hell would you wanna shoot me?  Are you stupid or somethin'?!"

"Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru took a hasty step away from his half-brother's general vicinity at the way her voice lowered and started to remarkably resemble a growl.  It was eerie, he decided.  He could almost swear he saw flames enter her eyes as she faced off against the hanyou.  "Sit!"  She shouted, hands clenching into fists at her sides.  "Sit!  Sit!  Sit!  Sit!  Sit!  Sit!"  Each time she said the word, to the youkai lord's surprise, Inuyasha was slammed into the ground forcefully.  He now had the answer to two of his questions from earlier.  Now he could see what purpose the word had and what had caused the resounding crashes to echo through the forest.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward and gazed down at his brother with a curious expression in his eyes.  "What magic is this?"  He nudged the hanyou with his foot surprised when he didn't move from his position.  He peered closer and noticed something around Inuyasha's neck was glowing.  He crouched down and moved to touch it then stopped, feeling strong purifying magic emanating from what he now saw was a rosary.  "A subduing spell…" He murmured softly before looking up and staring at the miko still glaring down at the fallen hanyou.  He snorted and stood abruptly.  "This explains much."  He turned and slowly approached the miko, pausing for a moment to make certain that one well-placed foot landed squarely in the fallen hanyou's back.

"Why you!"  Inuyasha tried to rise, fighting the residual effects of the subduing spell ineffectually.

"Kagome-sama!"  The hoshi rushed forward to place himself between Sesshoumaru and the miko.  Sesshoumaru ignored him as well as the taijiya who had also moved forward quickly, lifting her large bone weapon into a defensive position.

"This Sesshoumaru has no desire for battle.  Stand down."  He waited for the humans to lower their weapons before continuing.  "Time grows short.  This Sesshoumaru has a question to pose to Inuyasha and you humans."


	3. Chapter 0003

**_Summary:_**_  The love of a man and a woman knows no boundaries.  Be it time or place, the heart will not be swayed.  When two souls meet and recognize their other half, nothing can separate the two.  So it has been; so it is; and so it will always be._

_Inuyasha Original Japanese Version © Takahashi Rumiko Shonen Sunday __Sunrise__ Studios_

_All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale._

**Hidden Layers**

By:  Chiruken

Chapter 3

_"Real kindness seeks no return;  
What return can the world make to rain clouds?"_

- Tiruvalluvar -

The miko, Sesshoumaru noticed, was more curious than suspicious.  He decided that she was more trusting than he felt was safe for her wellbeing.  Of course, he would refrain from pointing this fact out to her.  He didn't think it would help his current cause to do so.

"What did you want to talk to us about, Sesshoumaru?"  It was rather irritating that the human female repeatedly refused to address him with the respect his position as Lord of the Western Lands demanded.  Yet at the same time it instilled grudging respect in him for her.  There were few who continued to walk the lands of the living who would show such blatant disregard to his obvious superiority.

"This Sesshoumaru has need to find humans with neither fear nor hatred towards youkai."  He paused for a moment their surprise kept them silent.  "Humans such as you, miko."  He clarified after the pause.

"Why?"  Inuyasha had finally managed to peel himself off the ground and had joined the group, arms folded across his chest in a belligerent stance.  "What would you, the great Sesshoumaru, want with a bunch of lowly humans?  Feelin' a little bored and wanna terrorize fresh blood?"

He ignored his half-brother's comment and continued to regard the miko steadily.  "Do you remember the human pup that travels with this Sesshoumaru, miko?"

"Kagome."  She responded with a scowl.  He tilted his head to the side in curiosity and careful consideration.  "My name is Kagome, Sesshoumaru."  She clarified immediately.  "And yes, I remember her.  Her name's Rin, right?"

He nodded once, hiding his pleasure in her remembrance of his young ward.  "This Sesshoumaru has a wish to place Rin in a human home."

"Why?  Has something happened?"  He turned his attention to the hoshi as the concern in his tone wasn't lost on the youkai lord.  These truly were remarkable humans, he decided.

"Rin should be raised by her own kind."  He answered simply.  Seeing that this wasn't enough information to appease the humans and their concerns he elaborated further, though somewhat reluctantly.  "Being human under the care of this Sesshoumaru places her at unnecessary risk.  There are many youkai who would use her in their scheme of revenge against this Sesshoumaru and his family."

"But why come to us?  There are many humans who would adopt her."  The taijiya raised a question he hoped would remain unasked.  He should have known that this group of humans were extraordinary including above aver human intelligence.

"This Sesshoumaru has observed that most humans shun Rin for having been raised by youkai.  This Sesshoumaru would be displeased if the human pup left his care only to be abused again by humans."  The mere thought was enough to threaten his calm and place him in a rage.  He remembered all too clearly the bruises and swellings she'd worn when he first met the child.  He hadn't understood then why humans would beat their own young and he still didn't understand.  Children, whether they be youkai or human, should be treated with firmness but also with kindness.  Patience should temper any form of discipline and caring should always be the motive…at least this was how he viewed it.  It was apparent that not all other beings shared his beliefs.

"Who would hurt such a sweet child?"  The miko…Kagome, Sesshoumaru reminded himself…appeared angered by the very idea.  This pleased him.  His observations of her in her interaction with the kitsune kit had led him to believe that she would not be one of the humans who would beat a child no matter whether they were human or youkai.  He also felt that the other humans in Inuyasha's group held similar ideals.

"Mmm…Kagome…" The kitsune youkai kit rested in her arms wearing a frown.  "People sometimes need to make themselves feel stronger and use the weak to do it."  The inu youkai Lord of the Western Lands carefully hid his surprise at the kit's astonishing show of maturity beyond his young years.  The little youkai scratched his head, young face scrunched up into an expression of deep thought.  "A lot of humans hate youkai so much that they'd take it out on anyone that's friendly with them."

"But…a child?  That's so unfair."  Sesshoumaru was further surprised to see the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes.  The miko known as Kagome truly had a kind and generous heart, he decided.  It was a shame that circumstances wouldn't allow him to place Rin in her care.  He felt his young charge would gain much from the experience of being around this human female.

"Rin has been with this Sesshoumaru close to four summers.  She has few memories of living amongst humans.  Those that do remain, this Sesshoumaru would wish to erase.  As this is impossible, This Sesshoumaru desires Rin to live amongst humans with more tolerance."  Sesshoumaru was beginning to doubt such a placement to be possible.  By the expressions the humans wore, he doubted they would be much help.  Obviously finding humans with the qualities they possessed would be difficult if not impossible.

"Kaede-baba."  Inuyasha finally broke the silence that had fallen over the group as they became lost in their own thoughts.

"Kaede-sama?"  The host looked confused as all eyes turned towards the hanyou.

"Yeah.  Kaede-baba could do it.  She doesn't care.  She accepts me and Shippou and she's human."

"Inuyasha is right."  The taijiya was now smiling, her scent reflecting her growing excitement.  "And the village respecters her authority as their miko."

"It's perfect!"  Sesshoumaru tried not to wince at the volume the miko he now knew was called Kagome used.  She seemed to share her companion's enthusiasm, though the youkai lord was uncertain if a miko would be ideal in the raising of his Rin-pup.  His experiences with most miko's had left a bitter taste in his mouth and himself barely able to escape the encounters without being purified.  "We can visit Rin often 'cause it's so close to the Bone Eater's Well."

Inuyasha immediately covered her mouth with a warning growl.  "Shut up, stupid!  Sesshoumaru doesn't know 'bout that!"

Sesshoumaru was even more curious now. "Bone Eater's Well?"  He murmured quietly, golden eyes steady on Kagome's rapidly reddening face as she struggled ineffectively against his younger half-brother's hold on her.  "Inuyasha."  He began slowly.  "You are suffocating your miko."


End file.
